I’ve built a few birdhouses using these dimensions and I’m surprised at the results so far. I’m in Nokomis Florida just south of Sarasota and a little over a mile to the Gulf.
I built a large house for Red Bellied Woodpeckers and a much smaller one for Wrens or Chicadees.
A pair of Red Bellied Woodpeckers chose the smaller house. They enlarged the entrance from 1 1/2” to 2 1/2 “ and made the walls thinner. The parents have been diligent feeding the chicks endlessly.
A few days ago, May 19, 2022 I found a chick dead at the bottom of the tree. I open up the house and found another chick dead ( maybe 2 days). It’s heartbreaking.
In the box made for those Woodpeckers a pair of Great Crested Flycatchers set up home. Very exciting. It’s an amazing bird with beautiful flight and a wonderful “chirp”!
Early morning May 22, the parents seemed to be in distress. Flying back and forth to the birdhouse calling out!!! We thought they were trying to get the chicks to jump out of the house to leave the nest.
The next day the parents were still going crazy and I thought I saw a snake head in the hole. I took off the front of the house to find a large snake in the house with 3 live chicks. I pulled the snake out and 2 of the chicks fell out, a third stayed in the house. Looks like the snake ate one maybe 2 chicks earlier. I estimate the snake was at least 30” long. I’m sure it would have eaten those 3 chicks if I hadn’t opened the house.
Yesterday May 24, I opened a house at the front of our property that was made for and used by Red Bellied Woodpeckers that I thought were finished. I found no chicks but an adult was dead inside on top of the nesting material.
Any thoughts or comments?
Thanks